The trade deadline ended at 3 PM ET Thursday, but that doesn’t mean the news of just-completed trades is going to stop coming in. Here are a few deadline deals that broke just before or after the league cutoff.

Blazers acquire Gerald Wallace. (Ken Berger, CBSSports.com)
The Bobcats get Dante Cunningham, Joel Przybilla and two first round picks. Since Przybilla’s deal is expiring, this is a salary dump for Charlotte. They’ll come away with Cunningham and two first rounders out of the deal. Wallace can play either forward spot, so he could play alongside LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum if the Blazers want to play small ball.

Nate Robinson and Kendrick Perkins to OKC for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic. (Adrian Wojnarowski, Y! Sports)
Interesting trade for the Thunder, who are going to have trouble shooting the ball if they start Perkins, Serge Ibaka and Thabo Sefolosha. They’ll have plenty of size down low and appear to be gearing up for a potential matchup with the Lakers and/or Spurs. Perkins is widely regarded as one of the best defensive centers in the league and Ibaka is no slouch either. The C’s must feel like they have plenty of size with Shaq and Glen Davis, who usually finishes games for Doc Rivers. Green will back up Paul Pierce and/or Kevin Garnett. Krstic is a serviceable center as well, and there are rumors that Boston will be looking to add Troy Murphy if he clears waivers.

Aaron Brooks to Phoenix for Goran Dragic. (Marc Stein, ESPN)
Brooks was thought to be a cornerstone of Houston’s youth movement, but one temper tantrum and one suspension later and he’s on his way to the Suns for Dragic, who was thought to be the point guard of the future in Phoenix once Steve Nash moved on. But Dragic’s three-point shot has disappeared (28% this year after 39% last season) and his numbers are down as a result. If he gets back to form, the 24-year-old could be a steal — and the Rockets got a first round pick to boot.

Rockets send Shane Battier to Memphis for Hasheem Thabeet. (Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports)
The Rockets get another first round pick as part of this deal. Thabeet isn’t ready for prime time, but maybe the Rockets still see potential in him. Battier’s contract is expiring and he obviously wasn’t in Houston’s long-term plans so they got what they could for him. The first round pick should be useful, even if Thabeet is not.

In another trade that “almost-was,” O.J. Mayo was going to be moved to the Pacers for Josh McRoberts and a first round pick, but the NBA didn’t receive the fax in time, so the trade was nullified. Insert Michael Heisley joke here.

GMs around the league were worried that there wouldn’t be much action leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline, but once the Carmelo Anthony trade went down, there has been a flurry of activity highlighted by the Nets’ acquisition of Deron Williams.

Here are five more trades that should happen, but probably won’t. They generally include one older player on a bad team that isn’t going anywhere.

Click on each trade’s headline to see it in the ESPN Trade Machine.

1. Steve Nash to Atlanta for Jamal Crawford and two first round picks
Free Steve Nash! The Hawks aren’t the ideal destination for Nash, but the Hawks really need a floor leader and the team has the defensive frontcourt (Josh Smith, Al Horford) to make up for Nash’s weakness on that end of the court. Smith and Horford would work well in Nash’s patented screen-and-roll and he would take the pressure off of Joe Johnson to create as the shot clock is winding down. The Suns aren’t going to get much out of this deal other than cap relief (Crawford’s deal is expiring) and a couple of first round picks, but Nash is 37 years old and deserves to play in the postseason. The Suns aren’t going anywhere anyway.

2. Rip Hamilton to Chicago for Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer
Rip can still play. He’s averaging 13.3 points per game and his shooting 40%+ from 3PT even though his minutes are sporadic. He works hard on defense and has kept himself in great shape throughout his career, so he should be able to contribute for the remainder of his contract. His spot up jumper would be a nice fit alongside Derrick Rose in the Chicago backcourt. The Pistons would be rid of the headache of keeping Rip on the roster without playing him and would get a couple of youngish wings in Korver and Brewer that could actually contribute.

3. Mo Williams to Portland for Andre Miller and Rudy Fernandez
The Blazers are currently sitting in the #5 spot in the West and could use a dynamic point guard who can create and shoot it while Brandon Roy comes back from his knee injury. Williams is good enough to run the pick-and-roll with LaMarcus Aldridge, but he’s also a spot shooter, so he’d be a solid fit if/when Roy does come back and dominate the ball. For Williams, the Cavs would get Fernandez who still has some upside as a 25-year-old swingman who gave Team USA fits in the 2008 Olympics. He’s a career 38% three-point shooter and would do well with more minutes in Cleveland. The Blazers could throw in their first round pick if a sweetener was needed.

4. Gerald Wallace to Dallas for Roddy Beaubois and Caron Butler
The Mavs could use a swingman to replace Caron Butler and Wallace fits the mold. He’s not a great shooter, but he would complement Dirk Nowitzki with his toughness, defense and rebounding. Beaubois is a good young prospect, but the Mavs might smell blood as the Western Conference has been depleted by trades while the Lakers seem more vulnerable than ever. The Bobcats would save about $18 million over the next two years and get a star on the rise in Beaubois. (He had an 18.59 PER in his rookie season.)

5. Steven Jackson to New Orleans for Marcus Thornton, Marcus Banks and Willie Green
The Bobcats continue remaking their backcourt with the acquisition of a good young scorer in Thornton, while also saving $19 million (minus whatever they eventually pay Thornton) over the next two seasons. In return, the Hornets get Jackson, a grizzled vet who can still score in bunches and take the pressure off Chris Paul and David West. Chemistry is always an issue, but Jackson should do fine with an established alpha dog like Paul who is going to be the one setting him up for open shot after open shot.

Per ESPN:

After a miserable start to the season in which he took shots at his players and himself, Larry Brown is out as coach of the Charlotte Bobcats in another messy exit in his well-traveled career.

The team announced later Wednesday that former Charlotte Hornets coach Paul Silas, who lives in the Charlotte area, will take over on an interim basis.

Here’s what team owner Michael Jordan had to say about the move:

“I met with Coach Brown two weeks ago about the team’s performance and what we could do to improve it,” Jordan said. “We met again this morning after practice. The team has clearly not lived up to either of our expectations and we both agreed that a change was necessary.”

Charlotte is 9-19 on the season and has lost four straight. The Bobcats won 44 games last season, so their start is obviously a big disappointment. Brown has a reputation for being able to turn around a franchise, but he has a tendency to wear out his welcome when things aren’t going well.

SIlas is a pretty good coach. His teams in Charlotte always played hard, so his presence should (somewhat) revitalize the roster. We’ll see.

For what it’s worth, Brown’s camp is saying that he fully intends to coach again.

This year, I’m going to preview the NBA season by starting with the lowest of the low and working my way up to my Finals picks. If a franchise is a legitimate championship contender, I’ll focus on what stars have to line up for a title run. If a team is a playoff also-ran, I’ll identify the weaknesses that have to be shored up via trade, free agency or draft over the next couple of seasons to make it a contender. If a team is likely to miss the playoffs, I’ll take a look at the salary cap, and provide a blueprint for how the team should proceed in the near future to get back in the postseason.

#20: Charlotte Bobcats
One thing’s for sure – Larry Brown will have his team competing. But with the loss of Raymond Felton to free agency, Charlotte turns to D.J. Augustin as its starting point guard, while Shaun Livingston is expected to back him up. Unless the light suddenly goes on for one of these guys, the Bobcats are going to struggle to make the playoffs in the much-improved Eastern Conference. I think their main competition for the #8 spot is the Knicks, which should be interesting because the two teams play such different styles. Cap-wise, the Bobcats won’t have any financial flexibility until 2012 when Boris Diaw, Eduardo Najera, and (probably) Gerald Wallace come off the books. The Bobcats are in no man’s land. They’re not good enough to compete for a title, but just good enough to miss landing a sure-fire star in the lottery.

#19: Phoenix Suns
I feel bad for Steve Nash, who will likely go down as one of the greatest players never to play in a Finals. The former back-to-back MVP lost Amare Stoudemire to the Knicks, and the Suns replaced him with Hedo Turkoglu, Josh Childress and Hakim Warrick. I do like the addition of Childress, but if they’re asked to play power forward, Turkoglu and Warrick are going to have a lot of trouble on the defensive end. If Phoenix can keep the incredible chemistry that it developed last season, the Suns could finish a few spots higher and compete for a playoff spot, but without Stoudemire’s finishing ability, the team is going to be overmatched most nights. Payroll-wise, the Suns will have the flexibility to add a good player next summer, but it will mean the loss of Jason Richardson, who is in the final year of his deal. Sadly, I think the days of Nash playing for a legit contender are over. It was fun while it lasted.

#18: Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies surprised a lot of folks last year, finishing #10 in the conference and fighting for a playoff spot for most of the season. In the end, there was still a serious talent discrepancy between the Grizzlies and the Western Conference playoff teams, and it hasn’t been overcome this offseason. O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol will continue to improve, but this team is still hoping Mike Conley will be its point guard of the future and Zach Randolph isn’t necessarily dependable, especially since he’s in the final year of his contract and has made it clear that he expects a new deal. The bench is still extremely thin, but the team made a nice move to acquire Tony Allen, who is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. Don’t be surprised if Lionel Hollins moves Mayo to the point and gives Allen a ton of minutes at the two. Xavier Henry is the wildcard. He’s finally with the team after holding out for a ‘normal’ rookie contract, something owner Micheal Heisley didn’t want to offer. If the Grizzlies elect not to re-sign Randolph, they’ll have a ton of flexibility next summer and thereafter. Other than Z-Bo, the only major contract on the books is Rudy Gay’s monster deal.

#17: Los Angeles Clippers
The Clips finished #12 in the West last season, so why do I project them to move up two spots and compete for a playoff spot? Two words: Blake Griffin. The guy is a stud, and he could easily be worth 10-15 wins this season. Throw in the potent backcourt of Baron Davis and Eric Gordon along with quality big man in Chris Kaman, and the Clippers’ starting lineup isn’t bad at all. Mike Dunleavy is out as head coach/GM, and while I’m not totally sold on Vinny Del Negro, he is an upgrade from a leadership standpoint. The team made a (somewhat laughable) run at LeBron and ended up with Ryan Gomes and Randy Foye, who will provide some depth to the rotation, while draft pick Al-Farouq Aminu will push for minutes at small forward, where there’s considerable opportunity for someone to step up. Cap-wise, the Clippers are in decent shape, but they won’t have any substantial money to spend until 2012. For the time being, these are your Los Angeles Clippers.

#16: New Orleans Hornets
Chris Paul missed 37 games last year and that, coincidentally, matches the team’s win total. What’s my point? Well, if the Hornets can get a full season out of their superstar, they’re bound to win 45-50 games and make the postseason. New GM Dell Demps showed his commitment to Paul by trading away Darren Collison (arguably the team’s second-best player) in a four-team trade that landed the Hornets Trevor Ariza. With Paul, Marcus Thornton and David West in the lineup, Ariza can go back to the more complimentary role that he thrived in when he was with the Lakers. In the last two seasons, the Hornets lacked the chemistry and cohesion that was on display during their run to the seventh game of the Western Conference Semifinals and a near-upset of the then-defending champion Spurs. While another such run is unlikely, a 50+ win season is not out of reach, assuming the roster stays relatively healthy. More likely, the Hornets will hover just above .500 and be fighting for a playoff spot come April. Financially speaking, they’re not in luxury tax territory this season, and project to have $12-$14 million in cap space next summer, which could be used to re-sign David West or to potentially make a run at Carmelo Anthony.

< < #21 to #25
#11 to #15 > >

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com says that what we saw from the Hornets’ brass on Monday was a ‘smokescreen’:

“The telltale thing is that Chris Paul won’t comment publicly other than what was released about it,” said a person familiar with Paul’s strategy. “Leon Rose didn’t come out and say, ‘Chris is happy in New Orleans.’ If he was happy, they would’ve said that. … The only way they can get close to full value is to say, ‘You guys can’t make trade demands.’ They’re orchestrating this thing to likely move him.”

The Hornets, meanwhile, have been looking at Orlando, Charlotte and New Jersey as potentially attractive trade partners once the firestorm settles down, according to one of the people with direct knowledge of the Hornets’ strategy. Two other sources familiar with the situation confirmed prior discussions involving the Bobcats and Nets and said those talks are expected to advance in the coming days.

Berger has emerged as one of the league’s more plugged-in writers, but one has to wonder how close this ‘person familiar with Paul’s strategy’ actually is to the man himself.

Paul doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract, so the Hornets can send him wherever they want. The Nets are interesting trade partner due to the upside of Derrick Favors. I doubt New Jersey would give up Brook Lopez, but a deal that included Favors along with salary cap relief might be appealing to the Hornets.

As for Charlotte, it just doesn’t look like the Bobcats have a young piece on the level of Favors (or the Gallinari/Randolph combination from the Knicks). Tyrus Thomas has spent most of his potential capital and Gerald Wallace is getting on in years.

Favors can’t be traded until August 15, though an agreement in principle could be made sooner than that. If the Nets can come out of the summer with a core of Paul and Lopez (while possibly turning Devin Harris into some help on the wing), it will salvage an otherwise disappointing summer.

Stick a fork in the Bobcats. They’re just about done.

The matchups are set and the first round starts this weekend. In the East, the top four teams — Cleveland, Orlando, Boston and Atlanta — seem like good bets to advance, while in the West, I wouldn’t be shocked if the bottom four seeds — Utah, Portland, San Antonio and Oklahoma City — were to make the second round. Here’s a quick look at each series:

Cavaliers vs. Bulls
It’s not often that a team that had a 10-game losing streak end in mid-February recovers and makes the postseason, but that’s exactly what the Bulls have done, winning 10 of their last 14 to capture the final playoff spot in the East. Chicago has the tools to make this a series, and with Shaquille O’Neal coming back from a long break, there’s a chance this could go to six or seven games. But in the end, Cleveland should have plenty of firepower to put the Bulls away.

Celtics vs. Heat
If there’s going to be an upset in the East, this will probably be it. The C’s have limped into the playoffs, losing eight of their last 13 games. Meanwhile, the Heat went 18-4 in February and March, but were just 4-3 against teams with winning records. Boston swept the season series despite Dwyane Wade’s terrific numbers (34-5-9, 50% shooting), so if anyone else steps up, the streaking Heat have a good shot at stealing the first or second game and gaining control of the series.

Hawks vs. Bucks
If Andrew Bogut were healthy, I’d pick Milwaukee, but the Bucks are going to have a tough time winning a seven-game series against a pretty good Atlanta team that has won 13 of its last 19 games. The Bucks’ defense could keep the games (and the series) close, but the Hawks should have enough to move on.

Magic vs. Bobcats
Orlando is peaking at the right time, going 19-3 in February and March. However, one of those losses was at home against Charlotte. The Bobcats are playing well too — they’re 16-7 over their last 23 games. Both teams are excellent defesively; they’re tied for first in defensive efficiency (points per 100 possessions), so expect a few tight games. But Orlando just has too much talent.

Lakers vs. Thunder
Get this — since a seven-game winning streak in mid-February, the Lakers have lost 7 of 11 games. The Thunder aren’t exactly lighting it up either. After an 11-5 February, OKC went 4-4 in March. While I think the Thunder could certainly make this series interesting, the Lakers have a serious experience advantage and should prevail in the end, providing the return of Andrew Bynum doesn’t throw a wrench into the machine. The key matchup to watch is Kobe Bryant and Thabo Sefolosha, who has become one of the most respective defensive wings in the league. Kobe’s numbers against the Thunder were right on his season averages, so maybe he has Sefolosha figured out.

Nuggets vs. Jazz
Denver went through a 3-6 stretch in late February, but were 5-2 in March, so it’s tough to tell which Nuggets team is going to show up. They’re going to be without George Karl for the first round, so without his guidance, I’d have to give the edge to the Jazz. Of course, this assumes that Carlos Boozer is healthy to play. He had an MRI on his abdomen yesterday and the results have not been released. After a hot February (12-5) the Jazz went just 3-3 in March. A healthy Boozer is crucial to Utah’s playoff hopes.

Mavericks vs. Spurs
After starting the season 32-24, the Spurs have gone 18-8 in their last 26 games. Meanwhile, the Mavs won 13-straight in January and February, and finished the season winning five straight and 8 of 10. Dallas won the season series, 3-1, and has home court advantage, but a healthy Spurs team is a dangerous Spurs team. This one smells like a six- or seven-game series.

Suns vs. Blazers
Phoenix certainly has the momentum; the Suns went 17-4 over the last two months, while the Blazers are a very respectable 15-5 over that same span. The key to this series is Brandon Roy, who is dealing with a torn meniscus in his knee. He’s going to try to play, but he’s probably not going to be 100%. (Update: Brandon Roy is out for the series, and likely the season.) Can the rest of the Blazers pick up the slack and overcome home court advantage? This matchup will be a true test of tempo. The Suns are 4th in the league in pace (97.9 possessions per game) while the Blazers are 30th.

Sure-to-be-wrong predictions:

First round: Cavs over Bulls, Heat over Celtics, Hawks over Bucks, Magic over Bobcats, Lakers over Thunder, Jazz over Nuggets, Spurs over Mavs, Suns over Blazers

Finals: Cavs over Lakers

Photos from fOTOGLIF